September 23, 2011

September 23 message

Good Afternoon: I hope you are all enjoying this first weekend of fall. A couple of things to share this week:

University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler inauguration: This week was the inauguration of Eric Kaler as the 16th President of the University of Minnesota. President Kaler's inauguration speech recognized a student from the region, who is also the son of the Farm Family recognized from Lyon County this year. Here is the excerpt of that portion of the speech:

No, we won't abandon these roots because of students like Kenny Deutz.
Kenny grew up on his family's farm near Marshall, Minnesota, tending crops and milking cows. Since he was a little boy he has wanted to be a veterinarian. Kenny came to the University of Minnesota to achieve that goal.
A few months ago, right after his freshman year, Kenny was accepted into VetFast, an accelerated veterinarian degree program. Across the nation, there's an acute shortage of large animal veterinarians. As the only veterinary college in the state, the University of Minnesota has an obligation to help meet this workforce shortage.

VetFast students receive their bachelor of science and doctor of veterinary medicine degrees in seven years instead of eight. It saves a year's tuition. It's good for the economy. It allows young people like Kenny to give back to his community, and live the dream he first had in kindergarten.
Kenny, congratulations, please stand so we can honor you ...

Retirement events: This fall there are many events celebrating the accomplishments of the 40 plus individuals retiring from Extension. Just a quick reminder for those of you who process expenses that mileage is not paid for staff to attend retirement celebrations.

Regional Operations
Extension regional operations leadership is being redesigned to provide management of our regional offices, support Extension in all 87 counties and continue to meet statewide program needs while using fewer administrative resources. Under the new model, the state will be divided into five regions and each region will have a field operations leadership team that will be responsible for the regional offices and county and local relationships in that region. That team will be led by two Regional Directors and will include program staff who will serve in an advisory leadership capacity for the region. This reduces the number of Regional Directors to 10. A national search process is currently under way for four of these positions with the remaining six being incumbent Regional Directors. As you know, I will be leaving my role as Regional Director to assume the role of Director of Field Operations. That appointment is effective January 1, 2012.

Fall County Extension Committee meetings: Here is the schedule of upcoming county Extension Committee meetings in the region:

October 26 5:30 p.m. Swift County
November 7 12:00 Noon Kandiyohi County
November 7 5:00 p.m. Chippewa County
November 7 7:30 p.m. Lincoln County
November 10 7:00 p.m. Lyon County
November 15 4:30 p.m. Lac qui Parle County
November 17 7:00 p.m. Big Stone County
November 28 7:00 p.m. Renville County
December 1 4:00 p.m. Redwood County
December 1 7:00 p.m. Yellow Medicine County

September 1, 2011

September 1 message

Good Morning: I hope you have had a good week. A few things to share today:

Welcome Linda Kutzke! Linda Kutzke began work this week as Support staff in Kandiyohi County. Linda has previous Extension experience from Clay County, Minnesota. Linda's hours are Monday through Thursday from 8:15 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Those hours are also the hours the Kandiyohi Extension office is open to the public. Linda's e-mail address will be lmkutzke@umn.edu (however that address is not yet activated).

4H Program Coordinator opening: The Lyon County 4H Program Coordinators position is currently posted. Application deadline is September 16th. The position is currently open due to the resignation of the previous Lyon County 4H PC Laurie Palmer.

Promise Fellows: While it is not completely confirmed, we expect two Promise Fellow positions will be hired in the region in October. These twelve month positions will expand youth educational experiences in focused areas. The positions in our region will be in Lyon and Kandiyohi counties.

Gift questions: Earlier this week we all received an e-mail about the staff and faculty gifts that were distributed at the Celebrate U day. Distribution of gifts for staff that did not receive the gifts at Celebrate U day and are located on campus goes through campus mail. For Extension staff located in County or Regional Offices, distribution will be handled as in past years. All of the gifts will be drop shipped to Coffey Hall, and Regional Directors will deliver them to office locations over the next few weeks. So, be patient.

President at the Fair: Last Sunday, U of M President Kaler spent time at the 4H building at the Minnesota State Fair learning about the variety of exhibits, experiences, and opportunities enjoyed by the 6,800 4H members participating in this year's State Fair.

Have a nice Holiday Weekend,

Bob
Here are the answers to last week's state fair trivia:

State Fair Trivia Answers
1. Which fair food contains the most calories? The Fried Candy Bars
2. On average, what's the total number of corn dogs typically consumed by fair visitors each year? 500,000
3. In acres, how large is the fairgrounds? 320 Acres
. 4. When was the Pronto Pup introduced at the State Fair? 1947
5. How long would it take the average cow to produce all the milk served during the fair's 12-day run at the All-You-Can-Drink milk booth? 3-4 Years
6. Dan Patch Avenue on the State Fairgrounds was named after whom? Race horse Dan Patch, who set numerous records at the State Fair track in the early 1900s.
7. In what year was the first Princess Kay of the Milky Way crowned? 1953
8. At what attraction can kids feed a chicken, stroll through an apple orchard and "purchase" produce all while learning about the Minnesota agricultural process? Little Farm Hands at the Fair, located off of Lee Avenue on Machinery Hill
9. What special event took place at the fairgrounds on June 20, 1910? The first flight in Minnesota history
10. Where can you find 100 State Fair coupons offering savings on food, merchandise and attractions? The Blue Ribbon Bargain Book
11. What year was the first Minnesota State Fair held? 1859
12. When did the State Fair attendance first top the one million mark? September 5, 1955. Robert Karklin received a wristwatch and silver trophy for being the fair's millionth customer
13. Which United States President gave one of his most famous speeches at the State Fair? Teddy Roosevelt, his "Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick" speech in 1901
14. Who broke the all-time record for the most tickets sold to a single Grandstand show? Christina Aguilera
15. What are the two oldest buildings on the fairgrounds? The Arts Center and the Progress Center, both built in 1907
16. Approximately, how many rolls of toilet paper are used during the fair? 22,000 rolls
17. What is the oldest ride on the fairgrounds? Ye Old Mill, built in 1913
18. What famous author described the Minnesota State Fair in his poem, "A Night at the Fair" in 1928? F. Scott Fitzgerald
19. How much butter is used to sculpt the likeness of Princess Kay of the Milky Way? 85-90 lbs